Other items besides cheese and soft drinks also contribute to overconsumption.
A newly compiled list of commonly consumed foods and beverages in the United States may explain why many adults unwittingly exceed recommended intakes of saturated fat and added sugars in their daily diets, according to a recent study.
Beyond the largest sources of each dietary category (cheese for saturated fat, soft drinks for added sugar), the study identified a longer list of sources that help explain why limiting fat and sugar to the recommended 10% of daily calories can be difficult. For example, excess consumption of unexpected sources like chicken and ketchup puts you at risk for a variety of diseases, including: Cardiovascular diseasediabetes, cancer.
Research Goals and Insights
The analysis of data on more than 35,000 U.S. adults is part of a project aimed at developing research tools that can more efficiently evaluate the downsides of such diets. But the study may also help consumers become aware of unexpected sources of fat and sugar that accumulate throughout the day. And it could encourage consumers to read labels to see where these hidden sources are, the researchers say.
“Though chicken breasts are advertised as a low-saturated fat food, they still contain small amounts of saturated fat, but it’s useful to know how even small amounts of food can sneakily add saturated fat to your diet,” said first author Chr.IStopper Taylor, professor and director of medical nutrition at The Ohio State University’s College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.
“If you can get below 10%, not only will you identify any big culprits, but you’ll also know if your other food choices may still contain saturated fat or added sugars. It doesn’t make them bad choices; it’s just about recognizing how your morning latte is contributing.”
Plus, they contain high amounts of added sugars, raising public health policy concerns, said Susan Schemble, an associate professor of oncology at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and lead author of the paper.
“It’s everywhere, in foods you wouldn’t expect, often in surprising amounts,” she says.
The study was recently published in the journal Neurology. Nutrients.
The researchers analyzed data from 36,378 US adults aged 19 and older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2005 and 2018. The survey collected a 24-hour dietary recall from each participant, detailing all foods and beverages consumed over the past two days, not just what they consumed but also when they consumed them.
Overall, the most common sources of saturated fat were cheese, pizza, ice cream, and eggs. The most common sources of added sugar were soft drinks, tea, fruit drinks, cakes, and pies. According to the USDA’s “Food for America” food list, the most common sources of saturated fat were cold cuts, cream substitutes, french fries, and whole milk. Sources of added sugar included tomato-based condiments, cereal bars, energy drinks, and yeast breads.
Race and age differences in consumption
The team also looked at differences in primary sources of saturated fat and added sugar intake among different racial/ethnic groups and age groups — an important detail in evaluating diets to develop more personalized health interventions, Schemble said.
“We need to know what people are consuming before we can understand what we can intervene with,” she said.
The research team developed an app to target and assess “nutrients of concern” and demonstrated that this analysis method produced a representative list of foods with the highest intake of saturated fat and added sugars. While NHANES data are key to understanding nutrition in the United States, disease interventions will be more efficient and effective if they pinpoint problematic foods and beverages that are sources of fat, added sugars, and now sodium.
Not surprisingly, the analysis found that overall, saturated fat made up at least 12% of daily calories, and added sugars made up 14% to 16% of calories. Dietary recommendations typically focus on avoiding top culprits like pizza and ice cream, which is why this long list is valuable and, for some, an eye-opener, Taylor said.
“Foods high in saturated fat and added sugars are frequently consumed and targeted, but while they’re generally considered healthy, the cumulative effect is small and they all contribute in small increments,” he said. “And when you eat some of those high-fat sources, they take you over that threshold of 10 percent of your daily calories.
“We’re trying to strike a fine balance between understanding the big front row factors but also the hidden contributors.”
Reference: “Identifying the Primary Sources of Saturated Fat and Added Sugar Intake in U.S. Adults,” Christopher A. Taylor, Peter Madrille, Rick Weiss, Cynthia A. Thomson, Genevieve F. Danton, Michelle R. Jospeh, Kelly M. Richardson, Edward J. Bedrick, Susan M. Schemble, July 29, 2024 Nutrients.
Translation: 10.3390/nu16152474
